Wednesday, May 03, 2006

Methodist Church bishop for Johannesburg, Paul Verryn, told ZimOnline on Monday that the church will soon post some of the refugees to countries such as Botswana and Mozambique after churches there accepted to host the displaced Zimbabweans.

“Churches in countries such as Botswana and Mozambique have since accepted providing accommodation to hundreds of Zimbabwean refugees presently living in South Africa.

“We are working with our fellow Methodist churches from around the SADC region to make sure that the innocent souls are taken care of. We have sourced blankets for the refugees including food, pots and medication,” said Bishop Verryn.

The Methodist Church in Johannesburg has in the past provided temporary shelter to thousands of Zimbabwean refugees staying in the country. But the church last month told the Zimbabweans to leave the church building in the city after violent clashes over food and some donated blankets.

At least three million Zimbabweans, a quarter of the country’s 12 million population, are living outside the country the majority of them in South Africa, after fleeing hunger and political persecution in the country.